Toy cannon or howitzer



1942. P. M. STEPHENS 2,274,009

TOY CANNON OR HOWITZER Filed Sept. 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l T my ml ATTOEN EY Feb. 24, 19421.

P. M. STEPHENS TOY CANNON OR HOWITZER Filed Sept. 13, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEX Patented Feb. 24, 1942 if? d N T 1 Claim.

This invention relates to toy cannons or howitzers, although certain structural features and principles thereof might be adapted for use upon full sized cannons, if desired.

An object of the invention is to provide a toy cannon having certain novel fatures of construction calculated to render the toy as such attractive to children.

Another object is to provide a toy cannon or howitzer comprising a wheel-borne carriage, an annular, calibrated socket mounted on the carriage, a cylindrical gun base or block rotatably anchored in the annular socket of the carriage, a cannon tube or barrel pivoted atop the baseblock for movement in a vertical plane, a cap receiving breech piece removably mounted at the rear end of the barrel, means for firing a cap inserted in the breech, and means for releasably locking the rotatable base-block at any point of its travel, and the barrel at any degree of elevation.

With the stated objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as may appear, attention is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the toy cannon.

Figure 2' is a front end view.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the gun-carriage alone.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, through the toy cannon.

Figure 5 is an elevation on an enlarged scale, of the medial portion of the toy, portions being broken away at the ends and side.

The invention comprises a gun carriage 5 including the bed-plate 6, tongue I and wheel 9 journaled at the ends of the axle l rigidly and transversely mounted at the under side of the bed plate 6.

An annular socket or socket-ring I2 i bolted at l3 atop the bed plate 6, the same being calibrated as shown at I 4. A fiat-ended cylindrical gunblock I is rotatably anchored within the socketring 12. This anchorage is conveniently eifected by simply forming an annular flange Illa on the base of the block l5 and seating same freely beneath a complemental raised flange IZa of the ring l2. The block l5 maybe releasably locked at any point of rotation or travel by means of a threaded lock screw or pin l6 passed up through a tapped aperture I1 formed through the tongue 1 and super-posed plate 6, and adapted to bear upon the flange l5a of the gun-block A finger lever i8 is locked at its inner end to the screw l5, and affords a handy and effective means for manipulating the lock-screw. A primary or base bracket [9 is rigidly mounted atop the gunblock I5, the same having spaced upstanding ears [9a. A similar, secondary or gun supporting bracket 29 is pivotally mounted at its base between the ears we of the bracket I9, by means of machine screws 2| passed through th ears l9a medially into the base of the bracket 20, at each side thereof and in transverse alignment with each other. A recess Ella is formed in the right hand side of the base of the bracket 20, and a locking disk 22 is marginally pinned at 23 within this recess, the elements being dimensioned so that the outer face of the disk falls flush with the side of the bracket. The screw 2| at that side passes centrally through this disk. A series of adjustment holes 22a are formed in an arc concentric with the screw 2!, at the margin of this disk and a look screw 23 with knurled head is threadedly passed through the ear |9a at that side, in alignment with the holes 22a, and thus arranged to engage at its inner end, either of the adjustment holes 22a, whereby the gun bracket 20 may be releasably locked at any desired angle of elevation.

The bracket 20 is also formed with spaced and raised frontal and rear ears 20b, 29c. Circular aperture 28d, 29c are formed in alignment through these cars. A cylindrical gun tub or barrel 24 is freely mounted through these apertures, the rear end of the barrel being formed with an enlarged head 24a to prevent its sliding forwardly, and with a forwardly spaced stopring 24b. A recoil spring 25 is seated over the rear end of the barrel and is braced at its ends between the ear 29c and the stop-ring 24b. The bore of the rear end of the barrel or gun tube 24. is enlarged as shown at 24c, and then still further enlarged at its mouth 24d and there tapped or threaded interiorly, as shown, and is thus adapted to engage a cylindrical and tubular breech piece 26, having a reduced and threaded end or nipple 26a for that purpose. The breech piece or block 26 is bored through longitudinally and axially as shown at 26b, 260, the forward end 261) of the bore being of greater diameter than the rear end 260. A cap slot 26d is out perpendicularly in the forward end of the breech-piece 26, substantially including the bor 2%. A cylindrical striker-plunger Zia-2Tb having these parts formed complementally to fit respectively the bores 26b, 260 is freely and reciprocably I 5. mounted within the said bores of the breechdrawings.

piece, the smaller end 21b being substantially reduced and protruded out rearwardly through th bore 260, and being threaded to engage a tapped trigger disk or head 28, which is thus mounted thereon. In the process of mounting, however, a coil spring 29 is mounted over the smaller stem 21b, which as stated is reduced substantially to accommodate the same, and when the assembly is completed this spring stands braced at its ends between the enlarged end 2111 of the plunger and the wall of the reduced bore 260. The larger end 21a of the plunger when fully entered or seated terminates Within the larger bore 261), and barely crossing the cap slot 26d, as shown in the A short steel firing block or anvil 30 is journaled at its ends to nicely slide forwardly within the bore proper of the gun tube 24 and rearwardly into larger bore 26b of the breech 26, there being a medial annular flange 3011 on the block adapted to pass within the medial enlargement 24d of the gun tube and. to seat against the shoulder of the reduced gun bore proper, where it is held by the extremity of the threaded nipple 26a of the breech 26, as the latter is screwed into place. Thus this steel firing block or anvil stands rear margin of the breech 26 and a flat toggle trigger 32a32b is pivoted at its forward end Within this slot by means of the pin 33, the two parts of the trigger being pivotally pinned together endwise by a pin 34 passed through the bifurcated end of the outer stem 32b and the inserted end of the inner stem 32a. A notch 320 is cut in the lower protruded margin of the rear end of the stem 32a, and the extremities of the forked end of the stem 3211 are extended inwardly over the pivot pin 34, for a purpose to be described. A lanyard or cord 35 is secured at one end through an eye in the rear end of the trigger stem 32b. A shield 3'5 with sight aperture 36a therein is mounted medially over the gun tube 24.

In use the striker plunger 21 is pulled back until the notch 32c engaged the frontal face of the head 28. The cap 3| is then inserted in the slot 26d. ,The cap is then exploded by pulling upward on the cord 35, which action depresses the forward extremities of the stem 32b against the head 28, forcing the latter backward and free of engagement with the margin of the notch 320. The pull on the cord simultaneously raises the stem 32a, thus freeing the plunger 21 which fiies forcibly forward under the pull of the spring 29, and strikes and explodes the cap 3|, positioned in the cap slot as aforesaid. The gun can be turned and elevated and set as desired, and as already pointed out.

While I have here shown and described a certain embodiment of the invention, and. certain structural features thereof, same may be modified or changed, within the scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a device of the kind described, a gun carriage, a calibrated ring-socket on the carriage, a fiat ended cylindrical gun-block rotatably anchored Within the socket, a gun tube mounted on the gun block for vertical pivotal movement, means for locking the gun-block in any rotated position, means for locking the gun tube at any angle of elevation, a tubular breech-piece removably mounted at the rear end of the gun tube, the same having a cap slot formed in its for- Ward end, a spring-setstriker-plunger reciprocably mounted through the breech-piece and adapted to impinge at its inner end a cap inserted in the cap-slot, a firing anvil in the gun tube in opposed relation to the striker-plunger and for co-operation therewith in firing the cap, and a trigger mechanism for setting the retracted striker-plunger and releasing same for firing the cap.

PAUL M. STEPHENS. 

